Virginia’s Health Department rolls out swine-flu campaign
EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Maddy Landa, 7, got a swine-flu shot yesterday at VCU Medical Center during the Virginia Department of Health’s campaign kickoff.
Advertisements on buses and in movie theaters, television and radio spots, temporary tattoos, T-shirts and stickers are all being used in a media campaign to persuade Virginians to get the H1N1 swine-flu vaccine.
The Virginia Department of Health yesterday rolled out a new Web site, logo and slogan in its swine-flu information and vaccination campaign.
The campaign features a Web site, H1N1GET1.com, and a slogan, "It's up to you to fight the flu." The Web site is in partnership with District of Columbia and Maryland health agencies.
The stickers and temporary tattoos are designed to appeal to the thousands of Virginia schoolchildren officials hope will get vaccinated at schools and doctors' offices. Radio and TV spots will start airing statewide Monday during prime time.
About $628,000 is being spent on the campaign, with about half of that on media purchase time.
Though the swine flu is causing modest illness in most who get it, younger people are being hospitalized for complications at a higher rate than older people.
"Sadly we've already had eight deaths in our state," said Dr. Karen Remley, Virginia health commissioner.
"Our goal is to really try to protect our communities. . . . The only way to do that is to get information out."
The media campaign was unveiled at VCU Medical Center, where Remley and others at high risk for serious flu complications were vaccinated. Remley has asthma.
Seven-year-old Maddy Landa, who also has asthma, was vaccinated, as was her father, Clay Landa, 32. He said he wanted the vaccination so he wouldn't get sick and pass the flu to his children.
"When you're raising kids, there is always potentially going to be someone sick," Clay Landa said. "We've spent our time in the hospital when she was younger with asthma. I think at that point you realize there is nothing we can do except try to protect her the best we can."
Remley said 260,000 doses of swine-flu vaccine are in the state or on the way.
Those first doses are prioritized for health-care workers, pregnant women, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years, people with underlying health conditions and people who care for infants 6 months or younger.
"By mid-November we will have enough vaccine for everybody who wants to get vaccinated," Remley said.
The swine flu, health officials say, is most of the flu circulating in the community. It is different from seasonal flu, which typically makes the very young and the very old the sickest. With swine flu, children and young adults are more at risk of complications.
There is speculation that older people may have been exposed to similar strains in the past, providing them some immunity.
Remley said that during a typical flu season, about 40 percent of Virginians get vaccinated. "We're aiming for 60 percent of the population" with the current campaign, she said.
The state swine-flu toll-free information line, (877) 275-8343, received 500 calls yesterday, with the majority asking where to get the vaccine, she said.
People may be able to get the vaccine at doctors' offices. The Health Department will post a list of public locations with H1N1 vaccine as sites become available.
Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or
.
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Reader Reactions
Is there a full moon tonight, or did a mental hospital in this area start giving patients Internet access?
Ron,
You are absolutely correct. The H1N1 is a government plot to kill Republicans. If you get the vaccination, it will kill you. If you don’t get the vaccine, the flu will kill you. Diabolical, eh?
If only I had the tin-foil hat concession for this one!
This picture is not one the children are going to go for. What child is going to willingly take a shot after seeing this picture reflecting a face of horrible pain. They could have used a better picture to advertise for children to have them understand this is very important to receive. I hope it does not take too long for the general public to receive because of the spread of the H1N1 and all people need to be vaccinated quickly.
EVERY Body… look at this… if you already got a flu shot this year… you already got the H1NI
Correct according to my firend there are 3 strains per shot one being the H1N1. We are covered. He’s one of the smartest 3 people I’ve known on the planet.
I spoke to a well… very well know local pharmacy… and they are not giving the shot to their children.
Fact one… the regular flu shot that both of my children received did NOT have mercury. The annual “standard” flu vaccine is compromised of 3 viral antigens, picked by the CDC, that include an H1N1 strain, H3N2 strain, and B strain (primarily for children). All manufacturers must use these 3 strains or an acceptable one that has a very close genetic lineage that can provide comparable coverage. The vaccine is supplied in both adult and pediatric dosages. I believe ALL of the pediatric doses are single shots (unit dose) and do not contain thimerosal (one form of mercury, not associated with the form found in your tunafish). The adult dosage can come in either unit dose or a multi-dose vial (e.g. 10 doses in one bottle). For the multi-dose vials, thimerosal is typically added as a preservative/anti-microbial agent.
Fact Two: The flu shot given was a dead form of the flu. Viruses are not living organisms. When referring to virus ability to cause harm to others, the terms “active” and “inactive” are used. Of the 5 companies licensed to make and supply flu to the USA, one 1 product (Flumist) has “active” flu viral particles. This is the nasal inhaled vaccine.
Fact Three: It was processed using the same basic fundamentals and testing developed years ago…. and been tested using a dead form of the flu. This flu shot is a live one!!! The flu process that most companies use has been around for 40 years. The testing that is done is for safety, efficacy, potency, etc. If you are making the “active” virus, your test will have “active” proteins being tested. ONLY the Flumist brand is “active”.
Fact: It does or some of the shots will have mercury!!!! Misunderstanding - See the first comment.
Fact: It has not been tested using the same methods because this virus is live…not a dead form of the virus. Misunderstanding – If you go to the Flumist website and see who is NOT recommended to get their shot, it will indicate that there is not safety testing for that population. ALL OTHERS HAVE HAD FDA APPROVED TESTING.
Fact: ONLY ONE company is producing the shots in the UNITED STATES.
The other 4 are overseas!! What quality control do they have… and what LEGAL rights do you have if the shots should be defective? Misunderstanding – Sanofi pasteur is the only company licensed and physically on US soil to make and distribute influenza vaccine. The other 4 companies that supply the US market HAVE BEEN FDA APPROVED, INSPECTED, AND ALL LOTS ARE RELEASED BY THE FDA, just like the US company. They must meet all the same CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) requirements and pass all of the same testing.
What are other countries doing??? Are they doing the same?? as we are?
I believe my local pharmacist and NOT WASHINGTON.
To the other parents…. WHAT IF THE SHOTS CAUSE A WORSE PROBLEM? The “Novel H1N1” or “Swine Flu” or “A/California” or whatever the media is calling it this week is different than the “Bird Flu” that scared the world a couple of years ago. The bird flu was an H5N1 strain, which nobody has antigens for since we do not get that strain in our annual vaccine (see first comment). THIS VIRUS, is another H1N1, which we all have received if you have ever received a flu shot. This vaccine is made IDENTICALLY to the standard flu strains, in the same building, with the same equipment, with the same staff, with the same raw materials, etc. Although there are reactions each year to the standard flu shot, the experts believe there should be no incremental risk with this since it is another H1N1.
Great picture here, you should research whats actually in this vaccine. Also for a great video on The Swine Flu in 1976, try Googling Mike Wallace from 60 Minutes with the after effects, and how the government neglected to make those known!
Does the State Health Department have a website that lists health facilities that are not 100% vaccinated. I wouldn’t want to go to a hospital staffed by “amateur” health care professionals.
Terrible picture LOL. I work at VCU Medical Center and I received the vaccine earlier this week, but received the nasal mist. I wonder why this wasnt used on the children?
Evidently, the all merciful Barack Obama hasn’t banned torture on his own citizens. :-) Seriously, whoever picked this picture to place with this article should be fired. H1N1 is serious and what we don’t need is a child seeming like she is enduring Saddam Hussein’s torture chambers.
Not the greatest picture to convince a kid that they need an H1N1 vaccine.
This child looks like she is experiencing holy terror.
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